


Looking for a Lifeline

by EzraTheBlue



Category: Saiyuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, Banter, M/M, Meet-Cute, Rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:22:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22050052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EzraTheBlue/pseuds/EzraTheBlue
Summary: Gojyo meets someone interesting while out on a tether in the void of space.
Relationships: Cho Hakkai/Sha Gojyo
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	Looking for a Lifeline

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rivvy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rivvy/gifts).



> This was written for Rivvy for the 2019 Secret Santa Exchange! I hope I've met your expectations!
> 
> Special thanks to InkyHorror for giving this a read first! Any remaining mistakes are mine.
> 
> A while back, I wrote a short story called "Lifeline" featuring Hakkai and Gojyo In Space! I decided it might be fun to expand on and flesh out that universe a little and describe how Hakkai and Gojyo met.
> 
> Please enjoy!

**Looking for a Lifeline**

Gojyo was careless with a lot of things. He’s not always too careful with the razor, especially when he’s chasing down the shaving cup in low-G, and he knows he only has himself to blame when he nicks himself. His clothes don’t get ironed, or even folded properly most of the time. When he’s on leave, he ashes into beer cans and he couldn’t tell for the life of him how to sort the burnable garbage from the compactor garbage. It would always just kind of get mashed together for someone else to sort out later. 

However, Gojyo was never, never, never, _never, NEVER,_ _NEVER_ careless with space suit safety.

When it was time to put on the tether and to start taking apart a meteor, Gojyo double-checked every seal on the joints, the O-ring on the airline connector, every closure. He did not fuck with the vacuum of space. The asteroid mining gig might have just been a job, a way to survive until something better came along, but he wanted to survive it. Even when he was in the line waiting to get into the airlock, he was picking at his seals and checking his airtank. He tapped the console on his right arm and checked - no error messages, nine hours of breathable air as long as he maintained calm. He still sucked in a full breath and exhaled as he followed the other miners into the airlock, and waited.

Every miner was fastened to a steel tether inside of the airlock by the techs, and then the airlock was cleared of non-suited personnel. Gojyo didn’t mess with the airlock, and nor did anyone else. There were multiple open and close mechanisms both inside and out of the lock itself, because one person going in unattached was enough to cause concern. There was a whistle, piercing and shrill, indicating the all-clear had been given, and the captain’s voice droned through to inform them, the same as he always did, that the morning work period was beginning. Gojyo waited with bated breath as the airlock opened, then grabbed a small bucket of tools and a helium collection tank, then stepped out into space. 

The Togenkyo Imperial Service was half military defense for the Togenkyo colonies surrounding the Earth, half civilian research and materials collections. For Gojyo, joining the civilian side was just a way to get out into space, in hopes of finding a better way up, but even so, every time he stepped off the side of the ship was a little bit of a thrill. Even as part of the larger engineering and mining force, being out here made Gojyo feel very small.

He was weightless as he stepped across the rails alongside the TIS Haku to get to the section of asteroid he was set to be mining today, and grinned for the split second the thrill lasted. Then, he landed on the scaffolding and scooted along the rails to find the section designated for him.

Someone buzzed his communication link, and Gojyo accepted the hail only to hear a vicious sneer: _“Hey, Gojyo! Remember to yank your tether when you need to go in so you don’t piss your space diaper!”_

Gojyo rolled his eyes. “Don’t forget to actually work instead of sleeping in your suit all day, Banri!” He chuckled and closed the link, but hardly a second later, just as he’d finished hooking the steel tether on the front of his suit to a magnetic hook on the scaffolding, there was another hail. Gojyo answered it. “What now, Banri?”

_“I’m sorry, do I have the wrong comm code?”_

Gojyo blinked twice. That voice was new. Polite, cultured, intelligent-sounding. He enunciated. Gojyo was certain that he hadn’t met anyone who spoke like that. It definitely wasn’t any of the other roughnecks out there with him. However, based on the words, Gojyo had a guess:

“Sorry, were you looking for Sha Gojyo?” Gojyo checked the channel he was being paged on and saw it was to the control ops room. “If so, you got ‘im.”

_“Ah, excellent, I’m glad to hear. Apologies for the confusion. My name is Cho Hakkai. I’ll be your link to the ship while you’re out in the field.”_

“In the field?” Gojyo chuckled. “Ain’t much grass around here, if I do say so.”

Hakkai laughed. _“Asteroid fields. It’s along the same lines as a rock garden.”_

Gojyo laughed right back. “Well, I ain’t got a rake in this kit, but then again, I don’t see much sand to scrape. Alright, Hakkai. Can I ask what happened to the last guy?”

_“Son Goku was promoted due to an emergency vacancy in the captain’s office. Health issue, you understand. I came aboard yesterday. It will be a pleasure to work with you.”_

Gojyo nodded. “That’s fair. Alright, pleasure’s mine!” He took up his drill. “And speaking of which, I’ve been doin’ this a couple years now, so if you got any questions about procedure, you just ask.”

_“That’s quite kind of you. However, I’m an engineer. I’ve done technical support for the equipment for some time, both for the ship itself and for your equipment, so I assure you I’m familiar with the assorted applications and procedures, and all the things you can do wrong.”_ Gojyo could hear Hakkai smiling. _“I trust you won’t demonstrate those for me today?”_

“No way!” Gojyo laughed again, his chest aching a little bit. “I’ll show you how it’s done. I’ll buzz you if I need a bio-break or anything, alright?”

_“Certainly, thank you.”_ The line went silent, and Gojyo, grinning, set to work.

He’d liked his earlier operator. Goku was a cheerful kid, all smiles and playful jibes, but he was practically just one of the other miners. (They just didn’t have a suit in his size, since the minimum height was 66 inches, and Gojyo never got over teasing him about that.) Hakkai sounded like nobody Gojyo had ever met before, and Gojyo was a little fascinated. It had been a long time since he’d really gotten a breath of fresh air, something new in his life. Gojyo couldn’t help but lean into it.

When you were on the tether, your control operator was your lifeline. If a miner was having issues with his suit, was feeling sick, or just needed to drain the lizard (or “take a bio-break,” as the formal parlance was supposed to go), their needed their operator to take care of them. Gojyo knew it was a good idea to make nice with whoever was on the other end of his communicator link. With Hakkai, Gojyo got the notion that making nice was going to be extraordinarily easy.

Whenever Hakkai checked in, Gojyo couldn’t help but banter down the line at him. _“Gojyo,”_ Hakkai’s voice rang in at first check, _“I see you’re making excellent progress. Do you need anything?”_

“I’m just glad the noble gases ain’t heavy, or I’d have a lot to haul in.” Gojyo chuckled and checked the pressurized tank where the helium deposits he’d vacuumed up were stored. “I’m getting kinda dry on this spot, should I try a few more holes on this spot or do you think you can get me a fresh spot to dig?”

_“One would think a man would prefer the same hole to taking chances on a new one, but give me a moment. I’ll be your wingman.”_

Gojyo had to try not to howl at that one. He didn’t want to waste oxygen, no matter how Hakkai’s sultry jokes stood out against his classy voice. He put his drill in one more time, tapping deep into the rock for trapped helium, but came up dry again. 

_“Gojyo, I’ve got a spot for you, but come in for a bio-break and we’ll move you.”_

“Aw, but Mom, I don’t have to go.” Gojyo chuckled and rolled his eyes, but unfastened his magnet from the scaffolding. “I’m loose. You can have them reel me in.”

Gojyo let the cord on his suit tug him back to the ship, but Hakkai hadn’t closed his comm that time, and he could faintly hear his smooth voice off of the mic. Gojyo heard him laugh again, and melted a little more.

He liked hearing his voice. He loved that laugh. Gojyo wanted to hear a lot more of it.

After eight hours of work, interrupted by an hour for lunch and a few breaks, Gojyo had filled a few tanks with helium and chatted with Hakkai much of the day, but when it came time to reel him in for the last time for the day, Hakkai signed off: _“Thank you for your hard work, Gojyo! I hope we have a good day tomorrow, too.”_ He sounded genuine when he said it, warm and pleasant. Gojyo really liked that.

“Yeah, thanks. Me too. You’ve been great.” 

_“Thank you, Gojyo. I’ll speak to you again in the morning.”_

“Looking forward to it.” Gojyo signed off, then sighed.

He really was. 

* * *

Gojyo liked Hakkai. He still wasn’t over how much a week later. The guy was funny, clever, he told Gojyo he’d done a good job, he made him laugh. Gojyo felt warm inside when Hakkai did so much as tap the comm, his heart anticipating hearing his voice.

That was the weird part, though. He’d only ever heard his voice. 

“You’re going gay over a _voice_!” Banri, Gojyo’s bunkmate and long time "friend," a punk with ragged, closely cropped yellow hair and a face like a starving wolf's, cackled as they crossed through the commissary line. Gojyo rolled his eyes as he grabbed a squeeze bottle of electrolyte-enhanced water and hurried past the officers’ tables to sit with the rest of the roughnecks. 

“I told you. I’m not gay.” Gojyo set his tray down with a _thunk,_ rattling his plasticware and splattering a little of his stew. It wafted gently upwards, and Gojyo captured it with his napkin before it could float to the ceiling in the low gravity. “I just like him. He’s funny. I wouldn’t tell you his damn jokes if I had anything better to talk about.”

“Hah, you’re telling me.” Banri sneered a little as he shoved his tray onto the table. “So damn bored out here I could just puke my normal suit. You ever think of getting back to the good ol’ dishonest life?”

“Dude. Shut up.” Gojyo shot him a harsh look. “I ain’t twelve anymore, I’m too big to be scrapping.”

“Yeah, sucked when you got broad and couldn’t fit in the hatches to strip the good metals out anymore.” Banri rolled his eyes, then took a long suck on his electrolyte drink. “Still, there’s more out there than pirating.”

“Shut _up._ ” Gojyo groaned and scrubbed his face with his palm. He’d known Banri since he was a kid, and the pair of them had hung together like a pair of dice strung around leisure speeder’s rearview mirror, but they’d gotten in trouble together too. They’d taken up the space mining job on the promise of good money, with only a little training and the risks that came with being out in space. Even so: “This job is way safer, with better, steadier pay, so when we get to go on leave on Earth, we can live it the fuck up with the fat paychecks getting put into our credit accounts while we’re getting fed and housed here. But we’re gonna lose it if you don’t _shut the fuck up_ about the dumb shit we did before our records got expunged.”

“Whatever!” Banri scoffed and shoveled down a few mouthfuls of stew. “You’re just pissy ‘cause you can’t get laid up here. What, is that it, not enough girls on this piece of shit tin can so you start going gay?”

“I told you, I’m not gay!” Gojyo pounded a fist on the table. “Seriously, can’t two dudes be cool without it being gay?!”

“I dunno, man.” Banri cupped himself. “I ain’t gettin’ any action out here either, you wanna suck my dick and find out?”

Gojyo shoved his tray into Banri’s, splattering his jumpsuit with flecks of curry. It soaked in despite the limited gravity, and Banri gritted his teeth then launched himself over the table to tackle Gojyo. Gojyo tumbled back, but Banri landed on him and tried to pummel him. Gojyo twisted, and Banri slammed his fist down onto the metal floor. The other roughnecks eating near them heard the reverberating impact, and in seconds, they were surrounded by a roaring crowd of other miners excited for some entertainment. Gojyo instead kept scrambling backwards on his hands like a crab on ice, trying to get out of the fight as Banri kept trying to smash his face good.

“Hold still and take your medicine, brat!”

“Dude, you’re gonna get us fired!”

Gojyo finally managed to slide out from under him and tumbled around onto his hands, then jumped to his feet. Banri snarled and dove after him, tackling him back to the ground, but before Gojyo could turn to shove Banri off of him, there was a loud whistle that cut through all the noise, and everyone froze. The cheering miners went silent, and even Banri went stock still. Gojyo knew that noise - the whistle from the Captain’s announcements. He slowly looked up to see the Captain himself, a scowling man about Gojyo’s age, golden-blond hair in a messy, overgrown shag, with knowing eyes glaring down at the pair of them like he could shoot lasers out of them. His uniform was still impeccable, his green sash with its silver pins all in place, though his black pants were wrinkled. He made for a formidable image, and though Gojyo hadn’t had to interact with him before, everything he’d heard from other roughnecks told him he really didn’t want to. Captain Sanzo glared between them for a moment longer, until the silence settled enough that Gojyo could hear a pin drop.

“You two,” he said, deadpan, breaking the tautly-stretched silence. “What the fuck?”

Just then, a sprightly young man with brown hair that defied both gravity and combs and bright, boyish eyes bounded past him. “Oh, hey Gojyo! Lemme guess, Banri’s being an asshole again?”

Gojyo laughed, happy to see a familiar face. “Goku!” He jumped right up from under Banri and held a fist out, and Goku, Gojyo’s former operator and the newly minted ship security head, bumped his own fist against it. “I’m damn glad to see you. Uh, yeah, me and him were just squabbling, I got soup on his front, and he-”

Captain Sanzo instantly turned to Banri, his pinpoint laser focus fixated on him, and Gojyo could swear his eyes were glowing purple. “So this is a known issue? Nobody brought a repeat offender to my attention?”

“Yeah,” Goku replied before Banri could protest, and he sputtered uselessly as Goku added, “I’ve had to talk to him about gambling in the security shafts or threatening some of the other miners. It’s all been small infractions, nothing worth bringing to your attention.” He shot Banri a chiding look, putting his hands on his hips. “I’ve tried to give him some leeway, but he keeps taking advantage of it."

“And this one?” Sanzo pointed at Gojyo, and Gojyo grimaced.

“I have a name. Sha Gojyo.”

One of the other officers who’d been at the table with the Captain looked up just then, as Captain Sanzo scoffed. “Sha Gojyo, then?”

“Gojyo’s an idiot, but he’s a good guy.” Goku grinned. “He taught me how to play Koi-Koi and Pig’s Tail.”

Gojyo realized Goku was making him an out, and bowed his head. “Sorry for the commotion.” 

Captain Sanzo scoffed, then cocked his head towards Goku. “Is he full of shit?”

“Oh, totally, but he’s still nice.” Goku beamed at Sanzo, and Gojyo clicked his tongue.

“Thanks, brat.” 

“Really,” a gentle but familiar voice sounded, as the officer at the table joined the conversation, his green uniform jacket pressed and neat, expression mild. He floated a little bit as he let the lower gravity help him jump the bench. “I imagine Gojyo dirtying this man’s uniform was an accident, and while mistakes can be excused, aggression towards one’s cohort is inexcusable.” His badges made clear that he was an engineer, but he spoke with the confidence he needed to be security - or, really, any job on his ship. He flashed the fastest little smile at Gojyo, then turned to Goku. “Goku, I’m certain you agree.”

Gojyo’s skin felt warm, and his heart skipped a beat as he took in the officer with the smooth, polite voice. He was lanky and lean, his brown hair combed neatly, and his eyes, partially obscured by oval lenses were a shade of green a guy never saw this far out in space. 

Maybe he was a little gay. That was a question for another time. However, he had another question first:

“Hey - are you Cho Hakkai?”

The green-eyed man lit up as he and Gojyo met eyes. “I am, and if I understand correctly, you’re Sha Gojyo.”

Gojyo knew he was smiling stupidly, as Sanzo and Goku conferred quietly in a mixture of whispers and hissed curses, and as Banri seethed at his side. However, Hakkai extended an elegant hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you face to face.”

“Yeah, you know it!” Gojyo enthusiastically took his hand and shook it. 

“Banri,” Captain Sanzo said all of a sudden, stepping past Gojyo and Hakkai. “You’re remanded to the brig for two days, docked two days’ pay. We can’t accept violence from any member of our crew.”

Banri’s face twisted with violent anger, but as Goku took out a pair of cuffs to lead him away, Sanzo twisted around towards Gojyo. “And you watch your ass.” He stalked off to snarl at the rest of the roughnecks for playing looky-loo instead of stopping the fight, as Goku took Banri away and Gojyo returned his attention to Hakkai, the light in his heart hardly dampened by the sour captain.

“Sorry about all that. Though, can’t say I’m too sorry.” Gojyo grinned. “After all, if Banri hadn’t knocked my ass over here, I wouldn’t have finally met you.”

“You exaggerate.” Hakkai’s eyes crinkled. “I would have found you one way or another.”

“Yeah, this ship ain’t that big.” Gojyo laughed and set a hand on his hips. “Hey, I wanted to thank you for taking such good care of me.”

Hakkai’s face flashed with surprise, but he laced his fingers and laughed, tickled pink. “It’s my pleasure.” 

Gojyo’s heart skipped a beat at that broad smile. “You know what might be even more _pleasant_?” He leaned in just a little. “A proper conversation, face to face.” He pointed upwards just as the buzzer indicating the end of lunch went off. “Maybe when we have a little more time?”

“Oh!” Hakkai seemed surprised, bowing as he backed away. “Yes. I’d ask when you get off, but my shift ends at the same time. Perhaps we can-”

“Yeah.” Gojyo grinned broadly, the same grin he used to save for pretty girls. “Give me an hour after shift and meet me on the observation deck?”

“Certainly.” Hakkai bowed. “I hope to hear from you shortly.”

“Leave your ears ringing.” Gojyo winked. “See ya in a bit.” He turned and strolled away, trying not to skip.

Hakkai was more beautiful in person than his voice could have belied. Smart, too, quick as a whip. Gojyo was on tenterhooks waiting for the next chance he got to hear that voice, see that face, and see who Hakkai was when they weren’t just chatting on the comm.

He felt bad that Banri was taking some heat, but he couldn’t worry too much about that. Gojyo would focus on two things: making sure his suit was secure so that he would come back from mining alive, and coming back to meet Hakkai again that night.

* * *

Gojyo took extra care shaving when he got in from the evening shift, careful on every angle of his jaw. No five o’clock shadow, especially when “five o’clock” was kind of arbitrary when they weren’t bound by the solar day on Earth. His feet bounced off the floor as he selected his best “shore leave” outfit, more than the low gravity lifting him, and he hummed to himself as he prepared. He was going to be ready for his buttoned-up engineer.

Banri wasn’t there to interrupt or tease him for sprucing himself up for a “date” - likely still in the brig. Not Gojyo’s problem. 

Gojyo had slightly heavier shoes to help imitate the gravity on Earth, which smoothed his steps out. Black slacks and a crimson shirt, two buttons undone, accentuated his natural swagger. He wore an emergency breathing tube necklace around his neck, connected to a miniature oxygen pump tucked in his back pocket. Standard for off-hours activities, really, so if it did stand out and clash, Hakkai wouldn’t mind. He arrived at the observation deck only a few minutes after the hour had passed, and saw Hakkai waiting along the railing by the grand window. A few other of the ship’s staff, roughnecks, infirmary nurses, chefs, and other auxiliaries were milling around the deck as well, taking in the distant pinpricks of stars and other assorted celestial bodies. However, Gojyo’s gaze was only drawn to one: Hakkai, dressed in well-fitting tan pants and a green tunic that made his eyes even greener, already luminous in the starlight. His shoes weren’t weighted, and though he seemed to be floating off the ground, he seemed entirely at ease with it. 

“Hey.” Gojyo strolled up to sidle alongside him. “Come here often?”

Hakkai seemed momentarily surprised at his arrival, but the bounce of his eyebrows smoothed down against his expression. “When I can. After all, even when we’re in orbit around a particular celestial body, the view is ever-changing.” He pointed out the window towards a different star. “Ah, see tonight we’ve a perfect view of the Haku constellation.” 

Gojyo squinted into the distance for a moment, and saw Hakkai indicating a particularly bright white star. “Is that it there?”

“From Earth, it looks like a twisting white dragon soaring upwards. From here, it looks like a dragon gliding.” He traced a shape against the window. Gojyo frowned as he thought, and Hakkai chuckled with amusement. “Though, I admit, I can only be certain it’s the same from here because of that one particular star, Draconia Alpha, or Ryuichi, depending on the paperwork you’re looking at.” His eyes crinkled with mirth. “I’d give the longitudinal waypoint, but I fear that’s a bit technical.”

“Yeah, sounds like it!” Gojyo laughed a little, then turned again. “Draconia Alpha? I think my brother told me about that one, back on Earth.” He traced the same shape as Hakkai. “It’s a different shape on Earth, though.”

“Yes; it’s the angle we’re at. The universe is infinite space in all directions, and we’re at a completely different relative point to the lead star.” Hakkai looked wistfully out at the stars a moment longer. “You have a brother, do you?”

“Yeah, but we kinda lost touch after… some stuff.” Gojyo shrugged loosely, glancing out towards the stars again. “You know how it goes. Family drama.”

“I do, really.” Hakkai’s lips thinned in a smile Gojyo wasn’t quite certain he meant. “I admit, one of the reasons I came to space was to get my mind away from my problems on Earth.”

Gojyo nodded with understanding. “Admittedly, coming to space to me was sort of a… spur of the moment decision. But I’ve made it work. Glad I made it here, anyway.”

“Do you like this sort of work?”

Gojyo laughed a little. “As much as anyone can. It’s, uh, kinda monotonous? But it pays the bills. Plus, if I ever get bored, I can, y’know, do like we’re doing now.” He motioned to the stars. “I kinda look out there at the sky and daydream for a minute. It feels nice. I just, y’know, think about what else might be out there for me, someday.”

Hakkai sounded amused, and took a few steps to lead Gojyo down the walkway alongside the observation window, his heels lightly clicking along the floor beside Gojyo’s heavier steps. “Big dreams?”

“I haven’t thought that far ahead, but, y’know, I never do.” He grinned rakishly and followed. “I just kind of drift to wherever I want to go. I figure someday, I’ll end up landing where I need to be.”

“Do you believe in Fate, then?” Hakkai was watching him curiously, more than the stars. Gojyo shrugged.

“I dunno about that. Fate, luck, destiny, whatever. I guess I just kinda figure if I keep jumping, eventually I’ll fall to where I need to be. Earth is where I come from, but I’m not really attached, so I’ll go where I need to and fall where I need to." He tapped his toe to the ground. “It’s like gravity. We’re all tethered to something.”

“Ah.” Hakkai’s face lit, and Gojyo wondered if he’d given the right answer, or at least an interesting one. “I suppose I understand what you mean. All things do have gravity, of a sort, it’s merely a matter of what gravity is afflicted upon them.” He gestured to the stars. “Even out there, the stars appear so distant, do they not?” He pursed his lips. “They are, really; by lightyears. It would take the Togenkyo Imperial Service flagship ninety years to reach Draconia Alpha from here, and that ship is the fastest in all of the Imperial line-up; this ship isn’t nearly so fleet.” He threw Gojyo a cheeky grin, until Gojyo got the joke and laughed. “Yes, and even what we call a constellation are bodies that may be separated by unfathomable distances. But, er, though all the stars are far apart, gravity is still drawing them all together, however slowly. Two stars with nothing else between them may find themselves drawn together.” He laced his fingers behind his back, thinking deeply, his gaze distant. “Whether the grand forces of the universe or merely the gravity two unique celestial bodies share, all things come together, one way or another.”

Gojyo got the feeling Hakkai believed in Fate, in a way, maybe in the same way he did, maybe in a more profound way. However, whatever it was Gojyo liked it, and he liked listening to Hakkai think. “I like the way you put that. So, uh, all things, you say?” He slid a hand into Hakkai’s.

“Eventually.” Hakkai laughed softly, but made no motion to take his hand back from Gojyo. “Some faster than others.”

He and Hakkai walked around the decks for a long time, eventually ending up at the commissary and buying coffee. Gojyo couldn’t remember half of what they talked about, only that Hakkai always had something clever, witty, and thoughtful to say, and Gojyo always had a little witty repartee, a wink and nod, or an observation in return. 

"I'm glad to have met you," Hakkai remarked as he squeezed creamer into his coffee from a vacuum-sealed packet. "Or, to have gotten to speak with you off-duty, really. I've been transferred from ship to ship throughout the service and haven't had much chance to make friends. Then, here you come just a few weeks into my tour of duty. I'm not certain if that's good luck, but I'll take it, you know?"

Gojyo grinned and tossed his coffee cup lightly in his palm, the liquid splashing against the lid. "Tell me about it. I knew my bunkmate, the guy who was messing with me earlier, from before, but I haven't really met anyone new."

"Supposedly it's something of a problem." Hakkai gave his coffee a gentle shake. "There's been rumors of a rise in mental illness through the population of space-bound individuals. Space madness, they call it, and it's gotten violent in some instances." Hakkai thoughtfully sipped at his coffee, as Gojyo cocked his head, thinking.

"Space madness? Are they doing anything about it?"

"It's only a rumor." Hakkai shrugged. "But I know they're bringing in more security staff, and ensuring the existing ship security is up to snuff. Not to speak ill of the precious security head, but then, it's never kind to speak ill of the dead."

Gojyo's eyes went wide. "You serious?"

Hakkai shot Gojyo a significant look, then masked it with a blithe smile. "All rumors, of course." Gojyo caught his meaning, and nodded. "I suppose this is a roundabout way of saying I was thinking of starting a game club of sorts. Healthy social activity, you know.” Hakkai tilted his head, imitating innocence. “Do you play mahjong?"

Gojyo was wise enough to know when someone was dropping him a tip, then deflecting, but it was a damn good deflection. “A little, yeah. But usually, my game’s poker. Do you play poker?”

“I’ve seen it done, but I’d love to learn from a master.” Hakkai leaned in, as Gojyo chuckled.

“Well, how ‘bout you tell me what you know?”

The conversation never really stopped. They drank their coffee, still talking, and then Gojyo walked Hakkai back to the officer’s quarters. “This was real nice, man.” 

“For me, too. More pleasant than you can imagine.” Hakkai’s expression was soft, fond, and considerate. “Perhaps we can meet again?”

“Yeah.” Gojyo took out his personal communicator. “Can I get your code? If you’re not busy with engineer meetings or whatever, we can meet for meals too?” 

“Certainly.” Hakkai took out his own personal communicator, and he and Gojyo traded codes. “I look forward to it.”

“Keep them peepers peeled.” Gojyo winked again. “I’ll have an eye out for you, too.”

Hakkai laughed, and with fond farewells, departed for his cabin. Gojyo, too, turned to return to his bunk, sad it was over but looking forward to the next. 

Even with the gravity-simulating shoes, he felt like he was floating.

* * *

A few days later, Gojyo was getting ready for another meet-up with Hakkai when he noticed that his personal communicator wasn’t on the magnet where he usually pinned it when he was in the shower, but he was in too much of a rush to get dressed to dig up the room looking for it. It wasn’t floating near the ceiling where Gojyo thought it might have ended up, and that was about as much as he had time to look for. He noticed that Banri’s jumpsuit was gone, and realized he must have been released from the brig and had come in and left to go do whatever it was Banri does when he wasn’t on shift. He was fine letting Banri do whatever he wanted. He had more important things to do. Mainly, meeting Hakkai at the commissary for dessert, coffee, and a lesson in how to play spider solitaire.

He didn’t expect to see Hakkai getting into the airlift that went to the airlocks instead of the passage to the commissary. He caught a glimpse of him as the doors closed, frowning down at the screen of his communicator, and sensed danger. He hurried over to the lift panel and summoned the next lift down, somehow knowing something wasn’t right. 

He’d gotten into enough bad situations - usually with Banri involved - to know when shit was about to go down.

When he got down to the airlock area, he could hear Hakkai’s voice and the distinct rustle of someone pulling on a normal suit. “I got an emergency call, but there’s nothing here.”

Gojyo heard another voice respond through Hakkai’s communicator: _“I’ve got a screen here saying there’s a wobble in the airlock. Might be a seal issue with the gasket. Regulations say anything wrong with the airlock requires an engineer to evaluate the system before we let any other employees in there.”_

Gojyo knew that voice! And Hakkai...

“I see. Alright.” 

And Hakkai was walking right into Banri's trap! Gojyo broke into a run, shouting: “HAKKAI, DON’T!”

Gojyo turned the corner just in time to see Hakkai had put his helmet on - blocking out noise, of course! - quickly checked the tubes, and stepped into the airlock. He saw Banri step out of the shadows, holding his communicator and grinning madly.

Gojyo didn’t wait. He began to jam into a normal suit and grabbed a tether, checking his valves as quickly as he could, and hit the emergency signal. The alarms blared just in time, and Goku’s voice rang out: _“Airlock corridor, report!”_

“Unauthorized use of airlock! Goku, he’s gonna-”

There was a horrible hiss, and Gojyo spun to see Banri had hit the lever to open the airlock Hakkai had gone into. His eyes glinted with madness. “See if that guy’s so much better than us flying out in space, yeah?”

Gojyo roared and readied the tether on his suit, just in time to see through the airlock window to see Hakkai in his suit, gripping onto the edge of the airlock hatch with everything he was worth. The alarms were blaring overhead and Gojyo knew security was on the way, but Hakkai could be a parsec away before they got here. He had done the checks on himself so many times that he could do them at light speed, twisting every seal and connector and securing it as fast as he could, then ran to the next airlock. He hooked his tether to the inside, and opened the airlock from the inside. He jumped to the outside of the ship, balancing himself on the tether, and saw Hakkai’s determination in his face as he gripped the ship with all his might. Gojyo quickly hit Hakkai’s comm code on the communicator in his suit to tell him: “Just hang on. I won’t let you go!”

Hakkai nodded, the motion barely visible in the bulk of the suit. Gojyo carefully braced against the side of the ship, then used his tether to hold him in place. He let it go a little at a time, belaying towards Hakkai.

"I can't hold on," Hakkai said, soft and urgent as if his voice could dislodge him. Gojyo let the tether go faster. "Gojyo, I'm losing my grip, I-"

"I'm here." Gojyo kicked along the wall towards Hakkai. "Just hang on, I'm-"

Hakkai didn't have time to protest again, he only caught a glimpse of Hakkai's face - half-laughing, half-horror, and some imperceptible fraction enraged - before his grip slipped and he was drifting away from the ship. Gojyo threw caution to the wind and kicked off of the ship towards him, arms open. 

Anchored to the ship only by his tether and his faith that someone would stop Banri from cutting him loose, he sent himself flying towards Hakkai in open space.

For a moment, Gojyo flew freely through space, his field of vision wheeling through a kaleidoscope of unfamiliar stars. He tried to anchor himself towards the distant glowing white of a dragon’s head, hoping upon hope that his momentum would carry him forward, as he reached for Hakkai drifting away. Gojyo didn't believe in fate or destiny, but he believed there was _something_ on his side when he grasped Hakkai's hand. He didn't hesitate to pull Hakkai to his chest, clutching him as tight as the vinyl of the suits would allow.

"I got you," Gojyo told him into the comm, as if his mouth were against Hakkai's ear. "I got you. Don't worry, you ain't heavy, I can carry you all the way back." He tapped the tow on his tether line, and held tight as the tether began to draw them back towards the ship. Hakkai nodded, and Gojyo could feel him nodding against his chest.

When they were pulled into the airlock, the door promptly slid shut behind him, and Gojyo sighed with relief as he heard the chamber repressurising. Hakkai slumped against him, breathing heavily, like he’d been choked, and Gojyo put an arm around him to keep him steady. “Easy now, man, we’re safe.”

“Oh, we are,” Hakkai responded softly, “but the moment I get out of this airlock, that man is not.” He looked up at Gojyo, rage in his eyes and clenched jaw. “You fool, you could have died too!”

“But neither of us did.” Gojyo grinned as relief washed over him. “I’m just so fucking glad you’re alive, man. That’s all that matters.” Hakkai exhaled sharply into his helmet, and Gojyo patted his back again. “You’re alright?”

“Yes… Yes, I… yes. Thanks to you.” Hakkai inhaled, then looked up towards Gojyo, face relaxing in increments from rage to shock. “Thank you. Thank you, thank you.” 

“Don’t thank me.” Gojyo removed his helmet and grinned fully at Hakkai. “Thank gravity for bringing us together.”

Hakkai laughed softly, shaking his head as he pulled off his helmet. “That’s not how that works.”

“I don’t care.” He threw his arms around Hakkai, shutting his eyes tight. He couldn’t imagine letting Hakkai float away now.

The door to the ship opened, and a few of the security staff ran in to check on them, their voices rushing over them in a tumult of noise, and Gojyo didn’t even listen as Hakkai recounted what had happened to them. He just looked past them to see Banri manacled and restrained by two of Goku's security officers and Goku and the Captain himself examining the log records.

Good. Let them sort the details out.

Banri thrashed and snarled, baring his teeth and straining at the restraints as the security staff carted him out, and Gojyo remembered what Hakkai had said about space madness. At the same time, he remembered those few dark words that had spilled from Hakkai’s mouth in the immediate aftermath of the rescue. Rumors, Hakkai had said. Gojyo didn’t believe in rumors, but seeing it happen in front of him

The security staff helped Hakkai to his feet and off of Gojyo's legs, just as Captain Sanzo turned his attention to them. "I see you proved more useful than you look," he sneered, then motioned between Hakkai and Gojyo. "Tell me that this isn't gonna be a problem."

“Nah.” Gojyo stood and slung his arm over Hakkai’s shoulder. “Out here, everyone needs a lifeline, right?” 

Captain Sanzo rolled his eyes. “If you’ve got enough attitude to backchat, you can help take him to medical for evaluation.” Gojyo snorted, but patted Hakkai on the back.

“Captain’s a prick, but he’s right.”

“I can go on my own,” Hakkai tried to demur, but Gojyo just held him tighter.

“Nah, I got you.” He patted Hakkai’s shoulder, and Hakkai sighed but leaned against Gojyo as they walked towards the airlift.

Captain Sanzo moved aside to let Gojyo walk past him, but leaned in towards him as he did to whisper: “Keep an eye on him.”

Gojyo felt a chill, but nodded. Hakkai just looked tired now, but Gojyo knew he’d seen a flash of madness in his eyes. He preferred the reflection of starlight, his clever wink and the twinkle in his eyes when he was talking or laughing, that green that Gojyo He didn’t know what it was that might send a man over the edge, but Gojyo wouldn’t let Hakkai go now.

Hakkai was his lifeline, too. 

* * *

Gojyo wasn’t privy to the details of what became of Banri. That was out of his hands. There were plenty of things that were. He didn’t have dreams much bigger than what was right in front of him, no ambitions on answering the big questions. As far as he was concerned, there were three things in his hands right now: making sure that his suit was sealed tight, that his tether was extra secure, and that he made Hakkai laugh at least twice every shift.

After all, there were some things a guy just couldn't be careless about, like when it was a matter of life and death.

“Hey, Hakkai?” Gojyo tapped his comm on his arm and scooted down the scaffolding on the asteroid to look for one more good deposit, tapping along the rock with his hammer but eyeing the comm out of the corner of his vision. It was coming close to the end of the afternoon shift, and he’d only gotten one laugh, but then, he’d been pretty busy. “How’s everything looking? Vitals good, oxygen flow good?”

Hakkai always responded quickly. _“Allow me a moment.”_ There was a brief pause. _“All clear, Gojyo. Do you need to come in? Are you feeling alright?”_

“Nah, I feel fine.” Gojyo chuckled, grinning to himself as if Hakkai could see it. “Just needed to make sure you were still checking me out.”

Hakkai laughed again. _“Now, now; we’re on the clock.”_

“No, I’m on an asteroid.” Gojyo laughed and plugged his tube into the aperture he’d dug out. 

_“You know what I meant. We can talk all you like later.”_

Gojyo smiled to himself. “Yeah, totally. We on for card night? Who’s coming?”

_“Goku wanted in, he said it’s been too long since you beat him in Koi Koi. Captain Sanzo insists it’s his turn to beat_ _you_ _in Koi Koi. Doctor Sharak from the engineering department will be there, along with a few of her juniors, and whoever you’re bringing from the miner’s division.”_

“I got a couple guys.” Gojyo shrugged. “Big dude Yakumo from a few bunks down, there’s this guy Zakuro, kind of a twit but I’ll enjoy kicking his ass, and a few of the younger guys are all up for it.”

_“Fabulous. Something to look forward to.”_ Hakkai sounded a little dreamy, and Gojyo, too, felt like he was floating, and not just because his heels were hanging off of the back of the scaffolding. Hakkai was what Gojyo was looking forward to the most. 

The rumors about “space madness” had spread, but it always came with the caveat that it was caused by loneliness, by the desolation of being out in space, untethered from Earth and gravity, far from home. Gojyo didn’t know about that. Not his problem. What he knew was that he would keep Hakkai from succumbing. If that meant social activities with the rest of the crew, fine. If it meant nightly meetings and dinners with Hakkai, even better.

When Gojyo emerged from the airlock and into the ship again, he stepped out of line just in time to hear Hakkai calling him, and turned to see Hakkai bounding towards him, lighter than air. He threw his arms around him, and Gojyo stepped into his hold like the moon caught in orbit. Hakkai embraced him, and Gojyo felt grounded again. 

They needed one another out here. Hakkai was his lifeline, and Gojyo would hold onto him wherever they drifted next.


End file.
